


identical words (how they feel brand new against different time frames)

by crocs



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universes, Angst, F/F, F/M, LITERALLY, M/M, Multi, Seelie Court
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 20:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12197004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crocs/pseuds/crocs
Summary: "the one you truly desire," the queen intones, and it doesn't matter what realm or universe or person she says it in or to, for that simple challenge leads to heartbreak and to pain for the three in near all.





	identical words (how they feel brand new against different time frames)

_"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, cold voice blue, weaving itself into the colors of the court seamlessly, hands pale, paler than simon's own skin, her red hair bleeding onto the canvas of blue, blue, blue, as the plant wraps itself around his neck and now he's blue, blue, blue, reaching out with a frozen hand --

 _"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, and clary strains against the green, quick, clever vines that wrap around her, prickling her skin and scraping her neck as she tries to get free, struggles, chokes out a half curse as a stray vine curls around her body, snug; her vision blurs as the plant envelopes her body --

 _"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, ancient, respected voice curling around jace like the _vitas veritas_ is, constricting his chest in two places at once, making his nostrils flare as he dampens down the urge to snarl, to thrash, to protect his friends because he knows that he can't, and it's killing him --

 _"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, and it doesn't matter what realm or universe she says it in or to, for that simple challenge leads to heartbreak and to pain for the three in near all.

in one, clary kisses jace, and though she says it means nothing, simon's face when they break apart says it all, really, and his hands find home in his woollen coat pockets, blinking away icy tears and thoughts of a future with her filled with golden sunrises.

in another, the first kiss from simon comes before the release, and jace has to look away as the _veritas_ shrinks back, breathing hard through his nose as the queen catches his eye, smile twinkling, twisted like her vines.

one more, and jace and simon thread their hands through each other's hair as the vines shrink away, leaving secrets on each others' rosy lips and confusion and hurt on clary's chapped and grey ones.

 _"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, and a million universes over, as the clave meeting (and luke's attempt at killing valentine) ends, alec laces his fingers through magnus's and kisses him on the cheek as they make their way out into the heavy snow, unaware that they, themselves, are the catalyst for the vines releasing a realm away --

\-- izzy leans in, and breathes in clary's scent as her eyes close, ready to --

\-- kiss, and raphael claims meliorn's lips as his own, sweet and chaste and --

\-- awkward, really awkward, maia can see clary's red hair in the corner of her eye as simon stays rigid, frozen to the spot --

\-- and unbending to the rules, _seriously?_ , thinks raj, as victor feels a lightening in his chest --

\-- too light, too light, and suddenly clary breaks free of the kiss, looking jace in the eyes because she can't, just _can't_ look at simon right now, it meant nothing, it meant _nothing_ \--

 _"the one you truly desire,"_ the queen intones, and a choice is always made, and a kiss is given and received, and it doesn't matter which partners they are; seelies are masters at manipulating the truth to their own ends and they take pride in it. the seelie queen claps her hands together in delight as personal worlds fall apart at her youthful looking fingertips.

 

**Author's Note:**

> title from sleeping at last's _bad blood_.


End file.
